Gates Cambridge Scholarship awarded to Evangel graduate

March 2, 2012 | Paul K. Logsdon

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Zachary Guiliano, a 2009 Evangel University graduate, was one of 40 U.S. students awarded the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarships on Feb. 14. He is Evangel’s first student to be so honored.

Guiliano will use his scholarship to study for a Ph.D. in history at the University of Cambridge, England, starting October 2012. The scholarship will pay the full cost of pursuing the degree, including tuition, fees, living expenses and other research-related expenses.

A native of Bartonville, Ill., Guiliano earned a degree in biblical studies from Evangel and will complete a Master’s of Divinity this spring at Harvard University.

The Gates Cambridge Scholarships were established in 2000 by a donation of $210 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. They are among the most prestigious and generous international scholarships available.

According to the Gates guidelines, successful applicants demonstrate outstanding intellectual ability, a good academic fit with Cambridge, a capacity for leadership and a genuine desire to use their knowledge to contribute to society.

The successful U.S. candidates were whittled down from an initial field of approximately 750 applicants. Guiliano and the 39 other scholars from the U.S. will join this fall with approximately 50 other students from around the world.

Professor Robert Lethbridge, provost (CEO) of the Gates Cambridge Trust, said, “We are delighted to announce our new U.S. scholars. They are an outstanding group of individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds. They have enormous potential, both academically and in meeting the challenge of the Gates Cambridge Scholarships to ‘improve the lives of others.’”

Diversity of applicants

Between 2001 and 2011, there have been 1,076 Gates Cambridge Scholars from 94 countries. They have come from 500 universities, with more than 150 of these being in the U.S.

“Most striking is the fact that liberal arts colleges represent five of the eight new institutions. Since the program was established, it is notable that only 54 scholars have come from liberal arts colleges and this year’s increase is welcomed on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Lethbridge.

Additional benefits provided by the Gates Scholars Council come in the form of regular social events, termly colloquia, distinguished lecture series, professional development, and connection to a network of global Gates Scholars during their time at Cambridge and throughout their careers.

Evangel University is a private, Christian university of arts, sciences and professions. With an enrollment of more than 2,000 students from all 50 states and abroad, Evangel offers more than 100 undergraduate academic programs and nine master's programs.

About Evangel

Evangel is an accredited, liberal arts university with more than 100 academic programs on the cutting edge of today's professional fields. Our commitment to the integration of faith, learning and life attracts students from a wide variety of Christian denominational backgrounds who have a strong commitment to academics with a desire to combine their Christian faith with every aspect of their lives.